Helen and the Beast
by total-whovian
Summary: An AU take on both Sanctuary and Beauty and the Beast. Helen and her father are investigating several attacks in Serbia. She is relatively new to the Sanctuary program and working with her father. Her life is forever changed when a beast imprisons her in his castle and a long lost scientist named Nikola Tesla helps her adjust to her new life. Rating for language.
1. Chapter 1

**Helen and the Beast**

**Summary: **An AU take on both Sanctuary and Beauty and the Beast. Helen and her father are investigating several attacks in Serbia. She is relatively new to the Sanctuary program and working with her father. Her life is forever changed when a beast imprisons her in his castle and a long lost scientist named Nikola Tesla helps her adjust to her new life.

**Author's Note: **I'm not sure where this came from, but I went with it. In this case, The Five never met and this is completely AU after Gregory tells Helen about the Sanctuary. Enjoy

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Sanctuary or Beauty and the Beast.

**Chapter One: The Serbian Mystery**

Gregory Magnus and his daughter, Helen, were exploring the small town in Serbia. 20 years ago, Gregory would have never imagined they would be traveling to this country to chase down an abnormal, but there they were. After losing his wife, it was hard for him to juggle his secretive work and a head strong young lady. Helen didn't believe in the highly restrictive society and times, and he couldn't be more proud. He taught her how to be self-sufficient, and as she grew older and more mature, he could see more and more of himself in her.

Soon she started to question her father's work, not as a doctor, but as a scientist. He would be gone at odd hours and conduct tests she had never heard of, and one day she finally confronted him. He had told her of his dreams of a Sanctuary Network to offer a safe haven to everyone. And everything. She had been fascinated by the creatures called abnormals, and where most would have expressed fear or disgust, she only showed interest and a willingness to help.

They had gone on their first retrieval and Helen instantly wanted to be a permanent fixture within the budding Sanctuary. Now, 5 years later, here they were in a quaint inn gathering together all of their information about the strange sightings and deaths in the area. From the reports, something was feeding on the livestock in the town and had attacked 7 people in the last month.

Examining the images of the wounds on the animals and victims, Helen noticed something.

"I do believe we are looking for two separate creatures," she said excitedly as she passed the photos to her father, "the bite patterns marks are completely different. On the animals, you can clearly see the two puncture marks and nothing else. The people that were attacked were mutilated. There are large lacerations that look to have been made by sharp claws and not necessarily teeth."

Gregory examined the photos they had collected a few hours ago and agreed with his daughter's deduction.

"You're right. There are two creatures involved. We will have to talk to some more of the locals tomorrow. We can see if they have any information on the presence of more than one abnormal. For now, we need rest. Good night, Hele."

Gregory placed a kiss on his daughter's forehead before excusing himself from their sitting room. Helen took one last look at the images in front of her before she too decided to call it a night. The next morning, they began their search by talking to the family members of those who were attacked. All of them stated that there was a legend of a beast that would claim its victims every year and then disappear once its appetite was fulfilled.

"These people seem to believe a creature similar to a Minotaur is the cause of this, but Minotaurs are extinct," Helen said as she exited the carriage.

"They're supposed to be," Gregory tipped the conductor and walked towards the tea shop, "but there have been rare cases of abnormals reappearing throughout history. All it takes is two parents with the same recessive gene to have a possible reemergence."

"You think it could be a Minotaur then?" Helen whispered as she sat down at a far table away from the entrance and prying eyes.

"Or something similar," her father nodded distractedly as he alternated between pouring their tea and going over his notes.

"What about the other marks? Nobody has mentioned any concern over the loss of livestock."

That's a whole new dilemma for a whole new day. As far as I can tell, that creature doesn't appear to be as violent or as much of a concern to the locals. We will focus on finding the so called Minotaur and see if we discover anything in the process," George said with finality as he passed her the hot cup of tea.

Following the information from the town's people, Helen and her father journeyed to the outskirts of town where the dense forest began and the town ended. The air was crisp with the bone chilling cold that winter brought along, and soon Helen was shivering beneath her 5 layers of clothes. They had been walking towards the thicker parts of the forest for about two hours when a heavy fog rolled in out of nowhere.

"We should turn back, Helen. I don't like the look of this weather," Gregory turned to say something else when he was struck by something very large.

Whatever it was tackled him to the ground and had him pinned before his bearings could return. There was a growl that sent shivers down his spine and he was convinced those were his last moments. Suddenly the cocking of a gun and the unmistakable voice of his daughter brought his attention to her.

"We do not wish to harm you, but I will if you give me no other choice," Helen spoke with resolve in her voice, "We want to help you, nothing more."

The beast above him seemed to be considering her offer, but he had yet to release him. The creature was rather large, and from the small glimpse Gregory had seen of it, he knew it had tusks and horns of some sort. While it was not a full blooded Minotaur, there were familiar aspects. Before Gregory could think anymore, he was hit upside the head with the creatures arm, and he soon saw darkness.

"Father!" Helen yelled urgently as he went limp beneath the beast.

Before she could shoot the abnormal, it was charging at her full speed. She managed to shoot it once in the shoulder and once in the arm before it was in front of her swatting the gun away. It backed her into a tree and growled, showing its sharp teeth. Helen was frightened as she realized that those teeth would perfectly fit the mutilated corpses' lacerations.

"As I said before," she said cautiously, "we only want to talk with you. Understand why you're attacking these people."

"I don't need help," it said as it knocked her unconscious.

Helen woke up in a cell, or at least a poor excuse for one. The cell was only about the size of a linen closet and had nothing but a moth eaten piece of cloth that she supposed could be a blanket…for a child. She slowly stood to take stock of what had occurred while she was unconscious. Her clothes were slightly torn and dirty, but otherwise intact. Her lower jaw was throbbing and it would be sore for at least the next day or two. She searched her person for her more discretely hidden weapons, but they were all missing. Finally satisfied with her self-survey, she tried to stick her head out of the bars as much as she could.

"Father?" she cautiously called.

There was no immediate response, but he could very well still be passed out from his blow to the skull. She was about to yell again when a shadow from the stairwell caught her attention.

"Hello?" she called out, "Who's there?"

"Your father is not here," a voice thick with a Serbian accent answered her earlier pleas, "He was not brought back to the castle."

"Is he still alive? He was badly injured by that abnormal and needs medical attention," Helen begged for answers from the approaching stranger.

"He is alive. It seems you piqued the beast's interest and he left your father alone. You are both very lucky. He has killed several people who walk those woods alone," the stranger said as he stopped just shy of the light coming from a torch on the wall.

"Who are you? Where is the beast? Where are we?" she bombarded him with question after question.

"Miss, we are in the beast's castle. He is currently attending to other matters. I am Nikola, a local scientist.'

"Nikola…" a thought crossed her mind, "as in Nikola Tesla? My father and I communicated with you several years back about your work. I am Helen Magnus."

Nikola stepped into the light and the sight that greeted her was impressive. He stood in a full three piece suit with his hair slicked back, and there was not a hair out of place. His eyes were a captivating greyish blue that held her attention completely.

"I remember our correspondence. I do apologize for these conditions, but it is a pleasure to meet you, Helen. You are more beautiful than I imagined. Brilliant and gorgeous, a rare combination to come by," he said, shamelessly flirting with her through the bars of her cell.

"Could you perhaps let me out of this cell? After all, you did say I was rare," she flirted back, hoping to find a way out of this castle and back to her father.

"You know, with some practice, your flirting could be almost as good as mine. I'd be happy to serve as your test subject," he grinned while coming closer to the bars.

"Mr. Tesla-"

"Nikola, please, Helen," he interrupted her.

"Nikola," she said a bit caught off guard by the absurdity of the situation, "Would you please let me out of this cell?"

His grin seemed to become a bit smug as he leaned in closer, through the bars.

"Begging will get you everywhere. I'll let you out for the small price of a kiss," he said whilst tapping his cheek.

"I hardly find that appropriate," she scoffed, trying to hide her excitement at the prospect of kissing him even if it was just on the cheek.

"You don't strike me as the kind of woman to care about the rules. In fact, I think you take them as a light suggestion."

It was amazing how this man already made her want to roll her eyes, but he did hit the nail on the head about her.

"Fine. One. On the cheek," she acquiesced, planting a chaste kiss on his cheek.

"My lady," he smiled a toothy grin as he opened the cell door with a flourish.

"Thank you," she said quickly before heading down the stairs, "Now if you could just point out an exit-"

"I can't do that," he said darkly, suddenly rushing in front of her, effectively halting her progress down the stairs.

Now she was angry. Decorum be damned.

"And why the bloody hell not?!" she practically yelled.

"The beast would simply track you down and he would not be happy to do so. He spared your life once, but it took a great deal of control. I'm not sure he would be as gentle the second time around," Nikola explained with trepidation.

He really didn't know if the beast's fondness of her would save her a second time. He was hungry and had been denied two meals.

"I simply have to make it to town before he notices I'm gone. There are supplies I could use to subdue him. My father would have made his way back to town as well. If that's so, then it could be as simple as meeting him halfway."

Shaking his head, Nikola looked up at her, "The journey to town is too far. The beast would surely catch up to you within an hour."

"An hour?" Helen looked at him with a confused look on her face, "H-how long was I out?"

"About four hours," Nikola said as he took in her shocked expression, "And before you ask your next question, allow me to answer it. We are approximately 100 km from town."

"100Km?!" Helen screamed, "That's impossible! He would have to be faster than any abnormal I have ever met."

"He is rather fast, "Nikola said while diverting his gaze away from her.

If she only knew the truth, it would probably make more sense to her. Yes, the beast was fast, but other creatures were much faster. If only she knew of his abilities. At least the ones he was proud of.

"You must be hungry," Nikola decided to change the subject, "I was actually coming up here to feed you."

Realizing for the first time that she was absolutely starving, she nodded eagerly.

"I am famished," she admitted while taking his offered arm.

"Well, we can't have you dying of hunger on your first night here, can we?"

AS they began their decent back down the stair case, thoughts of Nikola's hunger ran through him. He would have to sneak away soon to feed if he didn't want the beast deciding Helen was worth more than a snack.

TBC.

**Author's Note: **Let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

**Helen and the Beast**

**Summary: **Helen sees the beast for the first time within the castle.

**Disclaimer: **I do no town anything related to Sanctuary or Beauty and the Beast.

**Chapter Two: Dinner and New Quarters**

As Nikola lead her to the formal dining hall she took in the beauty of the castle. The ornate wood working and hand crafted sculptures were breathtaking. The marble inlays and large pieces of art would be gaudy in any other context, but filling the massive halls and rooms within the grand structure, they fit perfectly.

"We unfortunately will have to fend for ourselves," Nikola broke the comfortable silence, "We have a very small staff given the beast's… tendencies, and I'm afraid they have all retired for the night. Normally, I would wake one of them up, but for you, I will get my hands dirty."

Helen laughed a little at his comment. He did seem to be the kind of person that hated to get even a spec of dirt on him and his immaculate attire.

"If it is an inconvenience, I can do it myself, Nikola," she teased.

"Oh, it is an inconvenience, but for you my dear Helen, I will just have to suffer. The possible reward of another kiss would also help to lessen this burden, however," he smiled at her again and watched as a faint blush rushed to her cheeks.

"You're incorrigible," she huffed as they finally made it to the dining hall.

"Well, take a seat near the fire," he said pulling a chair out for her, "and I'll just be a moment. I'll bring some tea."

Helen smiled as he disappeared behind a door leading to what she assumed would be the kitchen. Looking around she saw more of the same décor. There was more stone work in this rom than most, but it was still beautiful. Above the fireplace, there was a portrait of a family. A mother sat with a young boy on her lap and a father standing behind her. Beside the father, there appeared to be another young man, but his face was slashed obscuring the image.

The young boy sitting on his mother's lap looked a little like Nikola, and Helen wondered if it was him. Was he related to the creature? Could they be brothers? The questions continued to invade her thoughts when the subject of those questions entered the room with a tea tray.

"I've started a simple stew of sort. Something of a childhood favorite of mine," he said proudly as he distributed the tea.

"Thank you," she said while preparing her tea to her liking, "Nikola, speaking of your childhood, I noticed the picture above the fireplace. Is that your-"

"That is the beast's family," Nikola answered coldly, "He destroyed his image after he killed his younger brother."

Helen could tell by his tone that the conversation was over and while she was still curious about his resemblance to the people in the portrait, she decided to let them fall for now.

"The tea is lovely," she changed the subject quickly.

"It's all we have left. I'll need to get some more from town soon," he said absently.

"So you do go into town?" she asked hopefully, "Perhaps I could go with you? I could pay you handsomely and you could stay with father and me. We would protect you from the beast if you are worried about retribution."

"No!" Nikola stood abruptly, "You cannot leave. You can live here and use the grounds as you wish, but should you escape or try to leave, the consequences would be great for all involved."

"You can't honestly expect me to live here as if I belonged here. As if this was my home! I am a prisoner here, no matter what luxuries are afforded to me."

"At least you are given the luxury, Helen! Trust me, many people have died at the beast's hands, and while he may care for you, his temper would ensure your death."

There was desperation in his voice when he mentioned the beast's temperament.

"Nikola, please," she reached for his hand and he paced in front of her, "We don't have to be prisoners here."

"I am not a prisoner. I choose to stay here. I deserve it," he said, removing her hand from around his and retreating to the kitchen.

If she was confused before, Helen Magnus was completely baffled now. Why would anyone choose to stay here? What could he have possibly done to make him think he deserved this isolation and confinement? When he appeared again with her food, he set it down in front of her before returning to the kitchen again. She sat in silence and finished the delicious meal, wishing he would understand her point of view. Deciding to take the dishes into the kitchen and hopefully talk to him, she was surprised when she found it empty.

"Nikola?" she called as she placed the dishes into a washing bin, "Nikola, I'm sorry if I upset you. I'm just frustrated by this whole situation."

She hoped he would hear her or at least give her another chance. He was her best chance of getting out of this prison. She was startled when a large, hairy paw grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.

"You are lucky I don't want to kill you now," the beast growled, "I allowed you to be set free from your cell, but I can easily place you back into that hole for eternity."

"Why allow me to walk these halls with a false idea of freedom if you do not intend to have me as anything other than a prisoner?" she asked angrily.

Any fear she may have initially felt died as anger took over. How dare he act as a savior in this situation.

"I was _kind_ enough to assume you would prefer some comfort. I see my kindness was misguided," he grunted before grabbing her around the waist and throwing her over his shoulder.

"WHAT do you think you are doing?" she yelled as he began walking through the halls, "Put me down this instant!"

"You insolent woman! You can't have it both ways. You either live within these walls with relative freedom, or you live in the cell. I gave you the option and you've made your choice," he readjusted her on his shoulder, "I spare you father's life and yours and this is what you do in return. You choose to be difficult."

Helen instantly caught on to the fact that both he and Nikola had used the terms "spared your life," and filed it away as something else to think about later.

"I didn't choose to be a prisoner! And you wouldn't have had to spare our lives if you hadn't attacked us in the first place!" Helen argued back as she fought against his hold on her.

"You entered my forest! During my hunting season none the less. What more would you expect of me?" Helen could feel the frustration coming off of the beast.

"There's another creature in the woods that hunts animals and nothing more. You have the option to not hunt humans, and yet you do. You showed restraint for my father and me, so I know it's within your power to do so again."

Suddenly, she was dropped to the floor and landed awkwardly on her left wrist, causing pain to shoot up her arm.

"AH!" she yelped in pain and watched as the beast struggled to know what to do, "You could have put me down gently."

"You were aggravating me!" he fired back, but helped her off the floor, "I don't enjoy hurting people, but I can't control it. You are the only person I have ever fought the urge to hurt. Even the people who work within this castle are hardly ever seen in fear that I may strike."

Once on her feet, Helen examined her rapidly swelling wrist. There weren't any signs of a break, but that didn't mean she hadn't fractured it.

"I'll take you to your quarters. There are medical supplies you can use to stabilize it," the beast had suddenly lost his fighting spirit it seemed, "I'll leave you there while I find someone to help you."

That surprised her. First he wanted to lock her up and scold her or her "insolence" as he had put it, and now he wanted to show her to a room and leave her be. When they made it to her quarters, she was even more confused. The doors opened up to reveal a large room, just as ornate as the rest of the castle, with a four poster bed with lavish bedding. There was an oak desk in the corner, matching night tables and wardrobe against the walls. Next to the wardrobe, a small sitting area was placed in front of a warm burning fire place.

"Do you keep all of the fire places burning here?" she asked flippantly.

No matter where they went, there was always a fire burning.

"I simply intended for you to stay here after your dinner and figured you would want to be warm," he replied while opening the wardrobe, "These clothes should fit. If not, I'll have someone come check in on you tomorrow to fit them properly."

"So I am confined to this room now," she looked around, "It is much better than the cell, but still a prison of sorts."

"You may roam the grounds," he gave the room one last look over before heading to the door, "but if you leave them, I will not give you a choice of accommodations."

With that, he was gone. Helen was left to think over all that had transpired. There was something nagging her about Nikola, the beast, and the killings that were occurring. She drifted off to sleep as her body welcomed the soft comfort of her new bed.

She never noticed the beast sneaking in and transforming before her. Where a creature once stood, a familiar figure took in the sight of her fast asleep. He wished he could tell her the truth. Explain to her why his control was fleeting and why one part of him was easier to control than the other. He had learned to control most of his blood lust with animal blood.

She wasn't the first one he didn't kill, but she was the first one he didn't want to let go of. He stayed by her side until the sun started to rise. She would be awake soon and would be hungry.

When she awoke, there was a fresh kettle of tea and a warm breakfast waiting in her sitting area. Nikola was also sitting there, mixing her tea just the way she liked it. He had paid attention last night apparently.

"Good morning, Helen," he said with his back was towards her, "I could get used to surprising you in the morning."

There was obvious humor in his voice, but the implication that she would be there for an indefinite amount of time scared her. Thoughts of her father, the Sanctuary, and her freedom kept her from returning his pleasantries.

"Ah, I see someone is not in the mood, "Nikola tried again with some light hearted humor, "perhaps we need something stronger than the tea. We have an impressive wine cellar if you'd like to indulge in it with me."

"Maybe later, Nikola," Helen couldn't help the small chuckle that found its way passed her lips, "I have a feeling I will need something to cope with my extended stay here."

They spent the morning exploring the grounds after breakfast. Helen noticed that Nikola did not eat, but he simply said he already ate earlier. Shrugging it off, she took his arm and let him give her the grand tour of the castle and its surrounding gardens. Everything was truly spectacular, but there were obvious signs of neglect and damage caused by their host. The winter air was starting to settle into her bones, and Nikola soon noticed. He pulled her inside quickly and had her rest in front of yet another fire.

"Are you not cold as well?" she shivered as the fire slowly started to thaw her out.

'It doesn't bother me," he said without thinking before hurriedly stating, "I must be used to it."

She didn't miss the way he scrambled for a response to the question. She added it to her list of questions that needed to be answered at a later date.

"I asked to have some tea and lunch brought to the last stop on your tour," Nikola gestured for her to follow him, and she did.

Soon they were in front of two large wooden doors.

He turned to her and whispered, "Close your eyes."

"Why?" she asked, a bit skeptical of what was behind those doors.

"Because I said so," he smirked, "and I want to surprise you."

Deeming his intentions to be good, she closed her eyes with a huff. She could hear him opening the large doors, and soon felt him guide her into the room.

"Alright," his voice was right next to her ear, "Open those beautiful eyes of yours."

Blushing profusely, she did as she was told and gasped at the sight in front of her. The large room seemed to be a hybrid of a laboratory and a library. Thousands of books lined the walls and a small lab station was in the center of the room.

"Welcome to my escape," Nikola smiled down at her.

**TBC…**


	3. Chapter 3

**Helen and the Beast**

**Summary: **Helen learns about a little more about Nikola and the beast then she ever thought she would.

**Disclaimer: **I do no town anything related to Sanctuary or Beauty and the Beast.

**Chapter Three: Witnessing the Transformation**

Helen and Nikola had finished their lunch and tea while talking about their respective work. Nikola had shown her a variety of inventions that would have numerous different applications in the world of abnormals. Her father had found a local inventor that he trusted, but none of the tools were as advanced as Nikola's. Once discussed about his inventions, they moved on to the books around them.

"There are several first editions and science journals within these bookcases," Nikola handed her a book on physics that he was particularly fond of.

"This is an amazing collection. I am surprised that the beast would have a room like this. I mean no offense, of course, but I don't envision him sitting in here curled up next to the fire with a good book."

Nikola had sadness in his eyes when he shook his head, "The beast does not come in here. As I said, this is my escape…and yours too if you would like to share it."

Helen nodded enthusiastically as she gazed longingly at the extensive collection surrounding them. She could get lost in her own little world with any number of these books.

"Thank you for sharing this with me, Nikola," she turned to him as he took a seat at his lab table.

"Of course!"

The remainder of the day consisted of Helen reading through three large texts on complicated medical maladies and Nikola worked on something at his bench. Suddenly, Helen heard the unmistakable sound of glass shattering against the floor. She looked up from her book to see Nikola shaking. He rushed towards the door, but was stopped by Helen.

"Nikola," worry reflected in her eyes, "What's wrong? Sit down, let me look over you."

She was trying to guide him into a chair, but Nikola was fighting back. He had been so preoccupied with working on yet another failed cure for his…beastly friend, that he hadn't realized how much time had passed. He hadn't fed today, which meant he would have no control over his transformation of what he would do after. Helen may not be safe if he couldn't get out of there.

"Helen," he growled in pain, trying to suppress the change as long as possible.

That growl, she recognized it, "Nikola? Are you about to…change?"

Without answering, he pushed her to the ground and fled from the room. Her previously forgotten wrist injury kept her on the ground as she fought back tears of pain and confusion. Nikola was the beast and he hadn't told her. He just acted as if nothing was different each time he saw her after visiting her as the beast. Deciding she needed to go back to her room to further treat her injury, she tried to open the doors only to find them locked from the outside.

"Damn," she cursed, he must have locked the door on his way out.

She walked over to the lab bench and looked for anything she could use as a sling. What she found was a pile of notes on separating parasitic organisms from a host. There were trials with data on different handmade serums reacting to samples of blood. Test tubes were full of what she assumed was his blood.

Taking a clean slide and a pipette, Helen carefully prepared a sample to view under the microscope. She gasped as she viewed his blood under the lenses. The normal structure of blood cells was not present. The cells were elongated and darker than normal, and originally she thought that was the cause for his transformation, but something else caught her eye. There were micro-organisms swimming in the sample. The parasite seemed to be feeding off the plasma of the sample.

Flipping through his notes, Nikola had written about the parasite needing plasma to survive. He had apparently been using a double pronged syringe on animals to syphon off plasma. According to his research, he could inject himself with enough animal plasma to control the parasite enough to maintain his normal form.

So the puncture wounds had been from a syringe and not another abnormal, well not in the way she had originally assumed they were made. She tried to make sense of the research in front of her. Everything he had done to separate the parasite should have worked on anything. It had to have something to do with the irregularity of his blood cells. Figuring she would not be getting out of the library anytime soon, she sat down and took a sample of her own blood to help with her tests.

It was going to be a long night.

_Meanwhile…_

Nikola had barely locked the door behind him when he felt the parasite take over. It was too late for the stores of plasma he had in his room, he needed fresh sustenance. With Helen locked away, he knew she was safe. He needed to remember to keep plasma on hand if she was to stay that way. He hated what he did next. He was used to blood lust, but it had always been controlled before he had experimented with his own blood. All he wanted to do was try to turn another creature into a pseudo vampire, but in the process he had stumbled across this damn plague of sorts.

Hours later, after he had killed another person and retreated back to his room in a secluded part of the tower, Nikola was released from the hold of the parasite. When he was sure he was stable again, he unlocked the several dead bolt locks on his door and went straight to the kitchen. Armed with hot tea and food, Nikola quietly opened the door to his escape and found Helen absorbed in his work at the lab bench.

Not really sure how to start the conversation, he jokingly said, "Normally when I lock beautiful women in a room, they don't work on my projects."

Helen was not startled or scared like he had expected her to be. She was angry, though.

"When were you going to tell me you and the beast are one in the same?" she said through gritted teeth without looking up at him.

"Well, it's not the best conversation topic. I usually wait until the third date to bring out the beast," Nikola slowly approached her with the tray, "I brought food and tea. Maybe we could have that date now if you are so keen knowing about the beast."

Hele honestly could not tell if the joking manner that seemed to be automatic for him was helping or hurting the situation at the moment.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why go on with all the cryptic speeches and flirtatious cover ups? Were you going to try to keep this from me forever? Just hope that I would accept my fate here, stay with you and ignore the beast?" she was furious as she spoke.

"You forgot the part where you fall madly in love with me, but other than that it was spot on," Nikola set the tray down before looking at her, "Although the flirting wasn't a cover up. It just seems to be an automatic thing when I'm around you."

"I'm serious, Nikola," she finally snapped, "I feared for my life and that of my father only yesterday. Instead of killing us, you take me here and tell me as the beast that I am your prisoner. Then, you show up as yourself and act as if nothing has happened. You treat me as a guest and show me the gardens and this amazing library. You offered me this safe haven, and I- I just don't understand what is going on. What exactly did you hope to accomplish with all of this," she begged for a serious answer from him.

"Helen, I did what I did out of infatuation, love, adoration-"

"I'm serious, Nikola! I don't want to hear any more sweet-talking. I want a real reason as to why tour ought me here. Were you trying to trick me into helping you find a cure for you?"

Nikola would never admit to the fact that her disbelief in his genuine feelings for her hurt him. So he took the excuse she had all but fed to him and put on the show of a lifetime.

"What was I supposed to do, Helen? Would you have really helped me voluntarily? You saw what happened to the other people. You knew what I was capable of the second you laid eyes on me."

Nikola was hurt. He had been genuine with her. He had let himself experience hope for the first time in a long time. Hope of not being alone. Hope of finding love, but he blew it. One choice several years ago and he was nothing more than a monster, a beast, in her eyes. Seeing the self-loathing darkness settle over him, Helen took a deep breath.

"I did say we only wanted to help," she inched closer to him, "and I still do."

"Helen, you don't need to try to placate me," he retreated to one of the large windows, "you are free to go leave. There are stables to the West of the castle. You'll find a horse there that will get you back into town."

"Niko-" she tried to interrupt him, but he simply spoke over her.

"I have enough restraint to not come after you. You'll be able to make it back without an issue."

"If you would just let me get a word in, you selfish-"

Nikola was suddenly in front of her. His once blue eyes were pitch black, his teeth were jagged and his long nails were now cutting into her upper arms where he was gripping her.

"I am giving you the chance to leave," he said in a completely unfamiliar voice, "you would be wise to take it."

"You're a vampire," she managed to say, "that's why your blood cells look different than any I've ever studied."

Frustrated that she wasn't leaving, Nikola picked her up and used his abilities to show her to the door quickly. He was gone before she even processed what had happened. He had returned to the library window and watched as she went for the stables. When he was sure she was long gone. He went out the gardens. There were so many stars in the sky he lost count at 300, but for the sake of distracting himself he kept going.

Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved his dual pronged syringe. It was not the most refined of his inventions, and it often led to the death of the animal he used it on, but it was only option. He would need more vials before he could go hunting so he ran back up to the library. He kept all of his vials under the lab bench, and while he was digging them out he noticed hand written notes that were most certainly not his.

Helen's delicate calligraphic style of writing covered several pages. She had used samples of her own blood to see how the parasites reacted. She noted that they soon died off in her sample because of the lack of plasma. There was something underlined on a separate piece of paper. _Nikola's sample regenerates plasma. Either drain him of enough of it to starve off parasite or suppress the replenishment. _

Suddenly it all made sense. He had tried manufacturing a parasite specific toxin, protein breakdown, and even using electrocution, but nothing has worked. It was all because of his vampire abilities. His rapid regeneration meant the parasites had an endless supply of plasma. If he could figure out a way to do one of the things Helen suggested, it may just work. Seeing a vial of blood with Helen's hand writing on the label, Nikola put a good portion of it onto a slide. He needed to determine how long these little buggers would live without the presence of plasma.

Unbeknownst to him, Helen was about to run into a little trouble on her way back to town thanks to Nikola's most recent kill. The smell of a fresh kill had led several wolves to the area, and Helen had stumbled right into it. As she approached the body, the horse she was riding became more and more agitated. She tried steering him around the body, but instead of moving he reared up and sent Helen tumbling off of him. Hitting the ground hard, Helen tried to catch her breath after it was suddenly expelled from her.

Looking up at her horse, she could tell he was not calming down at all. Something in the surrounding woods must be spooking him, she thought. Sure enough, a pack of wolves slowly surrounded them. Helen instantly got to her feet and looked around to survey the situation. Grabbing a nearby branch that was hefty enough to be used as a bat of sorts, she prepared to defend herself. As the first wolf charged, she the branch as hard as she could, making contact with the wolf's head.

**TBC…**


End file.
